


Thanks

by Tanith_De_Ecrivain



Series: Aftermath [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Exposition, F/F, Friendship, Heart-to-Heart, Public Display of Affection, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24854227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tanith_De_Ecrivain/pseuds/Tanith_De_Ecrivain
Summary: Glimmer thought that once the war was over that things would become much easier. She was wrong. The war has ended but the problems it has caused have not ceased. With so much to be done it can be overwhelming for a young girl, queen or not. Glimmer’s anxiety and fears over her insecurities and doubts are getting at her, and she refuses to let her friends know out of pride.But when things are hard, talking to friends is the best medicine...a lesson that even the most stubborn of queens can be taught with the right teacher...but all we have is Catra.
Relationships: Adora/Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Series: Aftermath [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798081
Kudos: 33





	Thanks

Glimmer breathed deep of the fresh air as she looked out from the top of the tower upon her kingdom. The queen of Bright Moon was huddled upon the dome roof of the uppermost tower of the palace. Her wings wrapped around her shoulders protectively while she hugged her legs closer to her chest, resting her contemplating chin upon her knees. Her bright eyes scanned the dwindling horizon before dancing back and forth across the lower battlements and courtyard below.

Everything about the palace that night was bathed in light from numerous lanterns and torches, replacing the fading sun as it set above them. The lunar rune stone flickered alight in the creeping dusk, hovering above its pedestal tower as it seemed to bathe in the light of the fires, its own powerful glow illuminating much of the night.

From the stones illuminated light Glimmer could openly see the tangled jungle of small huts, tents and pavilions that now dotted the inner courtyard of the palace. The sounds of murmuring voices, music, laughter, and the delicious smells of all kinds of different foods roasting over open fires drifted up to her lonely post. She sniffed the air smiling briefly at the smell of roasted acorns, bubble and squeak, toasted apricots and various other delicious foods being served by the palace’s kitchens. 

She looked up then, flickering her gaze away from the masses below her. Just beyond the palace’s walls she could see the plateau that formed the Kingdom’s basic front porch, bordered by the harbor and open ocean. The kingdom of bright non was not that big, huddled in the side of a rocky plateau and coastline walls. Despite the tight fit of available land there too was sat a sea of sparkling and flickering lights, the result of the hundreds of campfires. There had only been so much room inside the castle that they had had to establish various camps outside the walls as well. 

'At least we don’t have to worry about not having enough food to feed them all,’ thought Glimmer with a slight smile. 

Plenty of supplies had been brought by the various refugee groups themselves as well as donated from the other princesses to aid in the recovery effort. Bright Moon’s pantries were basically stocked to overflowing. The bigger concerns lay in having enough blankets and supplies to house all the refugees for the time being. The palace was not equipped to support the housing of thousands of people. 

Ever since the war had ended a month before with the destruction of horde Prime, things had yet to become less complicated. It was a relief that there was no more shooting, no more war, no more worrying about being conquered every second of every day. But if she thought that the war had been a nightmare to bear, then having to rebuild and pick up the pieces it had wrought was a punishment from hell. 

So many people had been displaced even before the arrival of Horde Prime. Entire villages destroyed or conquered by the horde had been lost. Thousands of refugees had fled from their homes, hiding out in various parts of the Whispering woods, mountains and other lands. 

Then Horde prime had come and then things had gotten even more collectivley worse. Entire villages were chipped and mind controlled, others were put under strict and terrifying occupation by horde’s robotic enforcers and his clone soldiers. Many of those who were chipped were separated or taken from their families, organized however Prime wished them to be so. All of them completely enslaved to the wills of a mad man. 

It had not been an easy time for the people of Etheria, even now that the horde was gone. Many villages were still destroyed, crops long lost and burned, and families displaced and scattered from one another. 

Glimmer shook her head as she thought of how eager she and been too nominate Bright Moon to be the central gathering point area for all of the refugees. She had to chastise herself inwardly with guilt. Only now could she see that it had been a huge mistake. While her heart and intentions had been pure Glimmer could never have fathomed the stress and anxiety it would bring. These feelings even now threatened to give her a panic attack at any moment. 

That’s why she needed solitary moments like these. Here on top of her tower. Time alone to herself so she could process her thoughts and not have to worry about someone else for at least a few precious minutes each day. She didn’t like being alone however, the dark thoughts and fears that plagued her could be such terrifying companions. Despite her desire to be alone to think Glimmer found she often wished she had someone to face them with. 

Glimmer shook her head to clear it as she scoffed inwardly. She didn’t want to burden anyone else with these concerns. After all she was the Queen, it was her responsibility to see to these affairs. She never saw her mother running to everyone else to help her with her duties and problems, so why should she? The young girl sighed as she let go of her legs and dangled one foot over the alabaster stone that composed the tower’s roof, her foot bare, toes clenching. There were somethings to be thankful for even in this turmoiled time. At least she didn’t have to worry about dealing with the horde’s reformation process upon everything as well. 

The biggest concern after the end of the war and the fall of Prime had been what to do about the horde soldiers, the horde clones, and the empire left behind. Even with Prime dead, the physical presence and structure of the horde still existed. 

Luckily for them however, Primes concern for his “little brother” Hordak’s playthings wasn’t as strong as they’d feared. He had ripped apart much of the Fright Zone’s physical infrastructure to supply his building operations rather than utilize them himself. His obsession with perfection leading to him rejecting any kind of operation by a defective pawn of himself. Prime had also further neglected the remaining horde forces in favor of his own personal clone army and robotic minions. The horde had been left to their own, but it mattered not since they had no leaders to command them. 

As such after Prime’s death there was nothing to stop the Horde from total collapse. Without any higher leadership the army had crumbled into factions. Squads defaulting to their officers for instruction and guidance. No longer an effective force most of these factions were more than willingly and open to negotiation and surrender. Those few groups who still had the fire of the horde in them and were not willing to join in peace had since fled to the crimson waste and far flung reaches of the kingdoms. They were still a concern but lacked the cohesive threat that the once united horde had been.

Adora and Catra being formerly of the horde themselves had taken over the administration of the horde’s decommission and surrender. There was very little to decommission and the surrender was almost all but guaranteed. It was still a daunting task. The horde representatives were wary about their future and fates among the now freed nations of Etheria. It had been Catra who had managed to get them to show the first step of trust by a public mass decommissioning of horde weaponry and tanks. To answer in kind Glimmer had offered to give a full pardon for all horde soldiers who agreed to peace.

The main struggle was with the conditions of surrender, neither side seeming to budge on their respected positions. The main concern of the former head horde officers, Catra herself included was that they had to agree to be put on trial for crimes against Etheria. Catra had not been pleased and neither had most of the horde captains and officers. However, it was pointed out to them that before peace could resume, a show of vindication and justice to the victims of the horde was required. 

Because of her service to the defense of Etheria and her aid in the destruction of Prime, Catra had a lot of support going for her side. As for the other horde officers, leniency was almost guaranteed to them. both Adora and Catra had made the convincing point to the princesses and council that the majority of the horde forces themselves were also victims, as most of them were former indoctrinated child soldiers. 

Still it was a mess that Glimmer was glad she didn’t have to add to her already high list of responsibilities. Refugees were a tedious task all on their own. She had to worry enough about enough blankets and campfire fuel, having to worry about de-arming hundreds of horde enforcers on top of it all, would be far too much. 

Glimmer already had no idea how she was going to resettle all these people. Rebuilding entire villages took time, finding and reuniting lost families with their loved ones was no easy task. her small mouth bordered on a smirk as suddenly she could pick up the enthusiastic sounds of some kind of lecture and public speaking from somewhere below in the courtyard. The unmistakable voice of the passionate Wrong Hordack reaching her ears. 

That was another aspect she was glad she wasn’t responsible for, as the only thing more concerning than what to do with the horde soldiers, was what to do with the horde clones.

The hive mind that had once bound them all together in the service and worship of Horde Prime had disappeared along with him. The loss of both had succeeded in leaving a large army of clones behind with no idea of how to function or what to do in their absence. Without Horde Prime to give them purpose many of the clones had fell into disarray, unable to care for themselves and even unwilling to do so. It had been fairly easy to round them up and bring them into make shift camps to document their number and give them a place to reside. 

Luckily however, Wrong Hordak, a devout and proud rebel against Prime’s lies and rule had taken it upon himself to reeducate the clones in the ways of freedom. Having removed the white robes of Prime he had since replaced them with the bright blue and golden lace of bright Moon’s healer faction. Wrong Hordak had then gone on to preach and lecture the clones on the importance of individuality. Imploring them to look for hobbies and passions that could sustain them. Things that could give them happiness other than the worship of Prime. Using himself and Hordak as examples of choosing one’s own fate and life.

It had taken a while but many of the clones eventually had started responding. They would collect and amass in a circle around Wrong Hordak, share their state of recovery from all things prime, then join him on his duties around the Palace. Even now the palace staff were calling them godsends as they excelled at cleaning, cooking, and organizing. Many more clones had since willfully joined Wrong Hordak in his blue robes and begun experimenting to find passions and activities that they could excel at.

Some had even gone to Dryl to help Entrapta and Hordak with their experiments, as well as others to serve the various princesses as aides and to learn from them. It had allowed many of the clones the opportunities to meet the people of Etheria, and in some cases make friends, like their prominent idols.

Even now she could hear him instructing his fellow brothers in the importance of telling people stories as a way of making them more comfortable. Trying to bring as much peace and entertainment as they could to the huddled refugees scattered around the landscape and Palace. 

Glimmer had to shake her head in mirth as she giggled. Not all the responsibility it seemed was daunting for some. The clones under Wrong Hordak were very promising, and bringing home the horde soldiers and giving them as well as everyone else a life and chance of peace was a noble goal. 

The queen deeply wished she could rely on her father’s guidance, but Micah was back in Mystacore with her aunt, trying to help rebuild the city of magic. They were also in the lengthy process of reforming the magic council. The world was now desperately in need of learned magic users if they were to get a better grip on the overflowing source of magic that had since permeated the entire world. Glimmer couldn’t rely on her father and aunt to come to her rescue. She been resigned to the fact that she was on her own on this one. 

Gazing towards the lunar rune stone Glimmer wondered what she’d think if her mother could see her now? The younger queen couldn’t help but think about her as she made the decisions that affected everyone. Would Angella have been proud or would she be shaking her head in that familiar way with how much her silly daughter was taking all upon herself? All Glimmer knew was that it was when she had to be the queen the most that she missed her mother harder than she ever had before.

The young queen had shed plenty of tears for her mother long ago, and so only a single small drop dripped now from her eyes. She could feel the cold path of the tear flowing down her cheek, about to make its long drop form her face to the ground hundreds of feet below. 

That’s when a rather pointy claw caught the tear at the edge of her lip and wiped it off her face before she realized she was no longer alone.

“Hey Sparkles,” smirked a familiar and much annoying voice. The statement soon followed by an arm wrapping around her other side while she tensed under the heat from someone breathing on her neck.

Grr…Catra, REALLY?” gasped Glimmer annoyed and embarrassed. Her face blushing brightly to have such a personal moment not only interrupted rudely but seen by another. Especially when that other was…her.

Suddenly Glimmer’s vision was filled with a smirking feline as Catra’s face pressed near her own. The cat girl’s pointed ears flickering up and down while her heterochromatic blue and yellow eyes stared at her in that unnerving way they so often did. 

“You’re crying,” Catra stated flatly, lifting her hand to stroke gently down Glimmer’s braided hair. 

“So what?” groaned Glimmer with a sob, not pulling away from catra’s touch but giving her a mean glare. “What does it mean to you if i’m crying or not?” she inquired hotly. 

“Well Adora worries…And so do I,” added Catra hesitantly. 

“Never mind that,” snapped the other girl. Glimmer burned inwardly in embarrassed silence as she couldn’t admit to herself or to especially Catra that the feel of that hand gently stroking her hair felt so right. It was felt so good to be soothed, almost as if she was a young princess again. “I’m just a little overwhelmed that’s all…you two don’t have to worry about me. Bow doesn’t.” The queen lifted her hand to take Catra’s off her hair and gave the cat girl a reassuring squeeze.

If Catra was convinced she didn’t let on, instead she simply rolled her mismatched eyes and stuck her tongue out infuriatingly. “You know damn well Bow cares just a much as we do,” growled Catra. “He just doesn’t know how to approach you the way i do…” snarked the cat girl proudly.

“Approach…w-wait how did you even get up here?” Glimmer thought out loud suddenly realizing this whole time what it meant that Catra was here on the top of the tower with her.

“Cat’s secret,” teased Catra with a laugh. 

“No…really,” insisted Glimmer. “I mean i can teleport or if i feel like it just fly, but you…you can’t…C-Catra, d-did you scale up this entire tower just to be with me?” finished the queen with wide eyes

Catra suddenly blushed a bit crimson under her skin as she saw Glimmer’s reaction. The cat girl gave a quick purr and then sat herself beside the other girl lowering one of her legs and equally bare foot to tease Glimmers with her toe claws.

“Um…yeah,” she smirked proudly as she examined the back of her dusty claws as if admiring a nail. “It was no real biggy.” Smirking was typical of Catra but she was laying it on now extra thick. 

“Well okay then…”trailed off Glimmer awkwardly. The queen not sure how to proceed from here. “I come up here to relax…and only that.”

Catra could only glare back at her. “Not buying it Glimmer, you’ve been hiding out on top of this oversized dome for several nights now.” Catra’s tone sounded almost belligerent. “You come up here so we don’t have to see you struggle…to see you cry. So you can be alone, and that’s not healthy at all.” Glimmer seemed like she needed to take a second to process what she was hearing, cause it sounded like Catra was now being almost uncharacteristically motherly. 

“How would you know?” Glimmer growled back. While she was acting defensive the queen couldn’t stop thinking how It was very unusual for Catra to be this supportive. Glimmer was both confused and kind of intrigued by it. 

Catra however must have taken her answer to heart because her smirk had faded and her eyes cast about uncertainly. The cat girl wrapped her arms around herself as she looked away from Glimmer like she was ashamed. “Trust me…i know.” 

Glimmer couldn’t stop herself this time, reaching out to pull Catra against her so that their foreheads were touching as she hugged the sagging feline. Catra didn’t make a move to stop her and just pressed into the smaller girl with gusto.

“I’m sorry Catra…it’s just…it’s just everything is so hard.” implored Glimmer with frustration. “I thought that things would be different after the war ended…But they’re exactly the same!” Her wings shook and flexed across her back as she stared into the sky with longing. “Every decision i make now still impacts people’s lives, my actions still have actual consequences…and nothing is going like I planned!” Sobbed the young queen as fresh tears of frustration built in her eyes. 

Catra calmly put her arms on Glimmer’s and gently pushed them away as she stared back at the other girl. "Let’s try something okay sparkles?” inquired the cat girl, waiting for Glimmer to reply. Glimmer only nodded in reply as she looked back at Catra intensely.

“Im going to slap you, so have a plan for ducking okay?” Catra could only grin as she saw the look of surprise on Glimmer’s face. The cat girl lifted her hand as if to make a move to strike and Glimmer responded with a cute squeak, ducking away. She was fast, but Catra’s foot was faster her toe claws leaving a small streak of red across Glimmers cheek. 

Glimmer hissed at the smart pain across her face as she flashed a heated and angry look at Catra. “Catra, what the Hell? That hurt!” she hissed painfully. 

Catra’s face remained determined and didn’t flinch. “Had a good plan to dodge that did you?” she teased.

“Well you said you were going to hit me, not cut me with your claws.” gambled Glimmer angrily. Only to have Catra grab her wrist in one hand and press her other to Glimmer’s cheek. 

“Yeah but i didn’t…cause in the real world not everything goes as planned,” stated Catra. Holding Glimmer’s chin firmly the cat girl leaned forward and began licking gently at the wound in short laps. Glimmer shuddered a bit at the sting of the other girls raspy tongue on her skin, but she held fast letting Catra continue. She was quite into her work, pausing for a second to look deep into Glimmer’s eyes. “No plan ever survives contact with the enemy. It’s rule number one of battle…and no greater enemy than reality eh sparkles?” inquired the teasing feline. 

Glimmer looked away at that, letting Catra continue back to licking her wound, no longer embarrassed by the care she was being shown. 

“You’re right i guess,” mumbled Glimmer apologetically. “But, it doesn’t make it any easier to bear…i have no idea what i’m doing here.” 

“Yeah, well that’s how most of us feel…all the time*” snorted Catra, pulling away from Glimmer’s cheek and letting go of her chin. “It’s no excuse to make your friends worry and think something’s wrong with you,” she lectured.

“Seriously Catra, you of all people are going to give me a friendship lecture right now?” Glimmer retorted hotly. 

“I climbed up here didn’t I?” answered Catra indignantly. “And you should thank me, Adora wanted to come too but i was worried she’d fall and break something.”

“You mean Adora knows too!” cried Glimmer with new embarrassment. “Did I somehow broadcast my problems to everyone?” she hissed covering her face in shame. 

“Calm down sparkles…it’s only me and Adora,” answered Catra, putting a hand on glimmers back reassuringly.

“And you just happened to be the one she sent up here?” inquired Glimmer, giving Catra a raised eyebrow stare. 

“Well…” started Catra, trailing a claw across her arm sheepishly. “I kind of didn’t give her a choice.” The feline gave Glimmer an innocent look that was incredibly unconvincing. 

“You just left her down there and scampered on up here without her leave…didn’t you?” accused Glimmer with a sigh. Catra’s sheepish smile gave her the only answer she needed. “Oh marvelous Catra, and just what made you think you were the best one to handle dealing with my feelings?”

Catra frowned at that and looked down from the tower towards the bottom of the Palace. “Adora…is not very good at stuff like this,” she insisted. “Don’t get the wrong idea, she is totally committed to being a good friend, but little things like picking up on a friends emotional issues…” The cat girl trailed off as she saw Glimmer giving her her full attention. “Well when it comes to that she can be really, really…dense.”

Glimmer gave a small giggle as she realized that Catra was right. Adora did often have trouble seeing other’s emotional issues right away. “Still though, why not ask her first?” Inquired the queen. 

“Because, if the issue was big enough for Adora to catch on then it’s something concerning, and Adora doesn’t take concern lightly,” finished Catra. “For all we know she could think your hurt and then go full on She-Ra just to try and heal you.” The feline girl smiled to herself. “You know how over protective she can be.” 

Glimmer could only nod. It was true Adora could care a bit too much when she thought something was wrong. The last thing she wanted was to make her closest friend think she was in some kind of pain. 

“I know better than anyone what it’s like to ball up your feelings and not talk them out,” added Catra quietly. The cat girl sighed deeply, picking at her claws in abstract thought. “I wanted to be the one to help this time, and i thought it would mean more coming from me,” she finished. 

Glimmer smiled at that and Leaning forward so she was resting herself back on Catra’s support, taking her hand and giving it another squeeze. “Thanks Catra….for all of this.” 

Catra frowned for a second as Glimmer took her hand, but that soon melted back into a soft smile. “No problem sparkle, hmmmm its kind of nice to be the one helping rather the one being helped.” The cat girl looked down over the side of the tower to pear down at the courtyard far below. 

“I still have no idea what to do about this refugee situation.” admitted Glimmer dejectedly. 

“Try talking to the others about it,” offered Catra. “You take on so much and then never share any of that weight…you're just like Adora,” muttered the cat girl accusingly. 

“Glimmer perked up at that and turned to her companion. “Really! I’m like Adora?” squeed the queen excitedly.

“Not a shared trait to be celebrating REMEMBER!” growled Catra. playfully rapping Glimmer on the shoulder. 

“Yes well…maybe you’re right,” thought Glimmer out loud. “I thought if i was the one to invite them to Bright Moon i was the one who had to figure out what to do with them alone. But, I’m not alone am i?” Her frown turned into a smile as she gripped catra extra tightly. “Get ready,” she whispered. 

“Catra looked at her oddly. “Wh….” never finishing as the pair of them flashed off the rooftop in a fiery shower of sparkles

Both girls reappeared several seconds later at the base of the tower, Catra dropping to her knees as she nearly hurled on the stone battlements. 

“D—urgh-ughh-Dammit Glimmer, i t-told you to w-warn me when….” tried off Catra, the girl holding her stomach as she stammered. 

“I told you to get ready, didn’t I?” replied Glimmer with a twinkle in her eye. “Come on, let’s find Adora, i have some plans to discuss with her.” Glimmer helped Catra to her feet and began glancing around for their other friend. “There she is!” exclaimed Glimmer catching sight of her friends blonde hair passing by the battlements just bellow them.

As the queen prepared to make her way after Adora, she leaned forwards and gave Catra a kiss on the cheek, “Thanks for being there for me again kitty cat,” she teased. 

Catra went stock still, her ears flat and tail frizzled as she felt the kiss. She could only stare in shock at Glimmer, not even caring that she felt like throwing up her supper over the pretty azaleas beside her. 

Glimmer gave her a bright happy grin before racing off, starting Catra from her stupor. “Hey sparkles what was that all about?” Not minding that the queen only laughed back as a response. 

Running to catch up to Glimmer, Catra couldn’t help but feel a string of pride at how more cheered up the queen was looking…thanks to her.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic for She-Ra and i guess on this site in general. I wanted to explore a bit of the aftermath of the season finale in a couple of chapters, each chapter from the viewpoint of a different character or characters. Solidifying a few relationships i liked while also discussing some of the results of the war that the characters now have to face. 
> 
> One of the things i liked about the last season of the show was the growing relationship between Catra and Glimmer, as well as Catra’s determination to be better at friendship. 
> 
> That kind of inspired the character choice and theme from this chapter. I also felt that Catra is a very physical person, especially in how she deals with others so i thought i’d put in some more physical intimacy. 
> 
> Let me know how i did, good or bad, i’m dying to hear, and thanks for reading.


End file.
